Erectile Dysfunction in Haemodialysis Patients- A Cross-Sectional Study at Vaatsalya Hospital, Shimoga, India

Abstract

BACKGROUNDWith the advancement in the medical treatment and haemodialysis techniques, life expectancy of ESRD patients has increased significantly, and this fact has highlighted the importance of quality of life of HD patients. Sexual dysfunction is most commonly seen in patients with ESRD on maintenance haemodialysis in the form of erectile dysfunction, decreased libido and decreased frequency of sexual intercourse.The proposal of this study was to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) among haemodialysis (HD) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODSA cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of ED among a community-based haemodialysis (HD) population at Vaatsalya Hospital, Shimoga. The presence and severity of ED were assessed among 50 ESRD patients using the selfadministered International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5). Clinical, demographic and laboratory data of all patients were collected from June 2017 to November 2017. RESULTS60 patients on MHD were assessed. 5 were excluded due to cognitive dysfunction. 3 did not consent. 2 had problems with communication. 50 patients were included in the final cohort. Nearly, all were hypertensive (94%) and 58% had diabetes. The cause of ESRD was Diabetes (58%), Hypertension (6%), Nephritis (20%) and others (16%). The prevalence of ED was 82% (CI, 76 to 87%) for all HD subjects. Majority of the patients had mild-to-moderate dysfunction (48%) and about 34% of patients had severe erectile dysfunction.CONCLUSION ED is extremely prevalent among HD patients. Early intervention may change quality of life of these patients. Sexual dysfunction is most commonly seen in patients with ESRD on maintenance haemodialysis in the form of erectile dysfunction, decreased libido and decreased frequency of sexual intercourse. [2][3] Many studies in men with ESRD have shown that prevalence of ED in men with ESRD on HD may range from 41.5% to 82% and is directly associated with severity of the illness. 4-8 Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a medical problem that alters patient's quality of life due to association with many problems such as anxiety, loss of selfesteem, depression and marital misfit. 9 ED is defined as the 'Financial or Other Competing Interest': None. KEYWORDS